A massive golden beam of light erupted across the battlefield, accompanied by the clear ring of a girl's voice calling out her ultimate technique.
The devastating impact generated by Caliburn's release sent violent tremors through the golden barrier protecting the arena. The supposedly impregnable defensive field, designed to contain even Gold-level combat, buckled and warped under the tremendous spiritual pressure.
Students from both Pixar University and Southeast University watched with solemn expressions as the petite figure in white and silver armor stood motionless at the battlefield's center, her skirt-armor fluttering gently in the aftermath of divine power.
"Old Chai, you've been hiding quite the ace," Surge muttered under his breath, his earlier confidence crumbling as he processed what he'd just witnessed.
Chisaki appeared equally stunned, his expression showing genuine confusion about the scope of Azrael's capabilities. Although he'd known about the venue card, this level of destructive output had caught him completely off guard.
"If I'd realized the full extent of his power," Chisaki thought with regret, "I never would have let Oliver go first."
The main members of Pixar University's Battle Club observed Azrael with dramatically different reactions painted across their faces.
Oliver's features showed undisguised joy and relief. He hadn't expected Azrael to possess such overwhelming combat potential. "Azrael truly deserves to be Master Lucian's disciple," he said with genuine admiration coloring his voice. "This is absolutely..."
He found himself at a loss for adequate words to describe what they'd just witnessed.
Sun-Myun stared at Azrael with a toxic mixture of disbelief and bitter jealousy burning in his chest, his earlier dismissive attitude crumbling in the face of such undeniable superiority.
Jea-Min silently adjusted her black-framed glasses and offered no commentary, though her analytical mind was already cataloging the tactical implications of Azrael's demonstrated capabilities.
Choi-Gyu, ever eager to align herself with whoever held power, quickly echoed Oliver's sentiment. "Yes, thank goodness for Junior Azrael! Otherwise we would have lost this battle for certain."
Sun-Myun's jealousy deepened at her obvious opportunism, though he was wise enough to keep his resentment carefully concealed.
On the battlefield itself, Azrael maintained his calm observation of Artoria's condition, oblivious to the complex political calculations swirling through his teammates' minds.
The golden Sword of Promised Victory in Artoria's hands had been pushed to its absolute limits during the devastating release. The legendary blade now showed hairline fractures along its length, evidence of the tremendous forces it had channeled.
As the massive golden beam carved downward through the arena, the dense storm clouds that had dominated the battlefield were instantly torn apart. The oppressive weather that Hisham's Taoist priest had maintained through stolen elemental control dissipated like mist before the morning sun.
The Taoist priest's face contorted with desperate alarm as he frantically formed hand seals, conjuring several lightning bolts that materialized from thin air to intercept Artoria's position.
However, without the weather enhancement that Oliver's cards had originally provided, the electrical attacks possessed only a fraction of their previous devastating power. Unohana Retsu deflected them with casual ease, her protective Kidō techniques rendering the assault completely ineffective.
Although the enormous golden beam appeared to descend slowly due to its immense scale, this represented nothing more than a visual illusion. In reality, the concentrated divine energy reached its target within moments.
The ground that came into contact with the beam was instantly vaporized, leaving behind perfectly smooth furrows of molten stone. The terrifying golden torrent had already reached Hisham's two cards before they could mount any meaningful defense.
As Artoria recklessly increased her magical output, pouring every reserve of power into the technique, the beam suddenly expanded to nearly twice its original diameter.
Under such overwhelming magical force, the supposedly impregnable tower shield managed to resist for only a few precious seconds before dissolving into scattered motes of light.
What followed was Hisham's knight and Taoist priest facing Artoria's unstoppable assault with no protection whatsoever.
The golden torrent swept past their positions as if they offered no more resistance than morning mist, instantly reducing both cards to dissipating spiritual energy before striking the arena's protective barrier with earth-shaking force.
From the sidelines, Surge's face went pale with horror as he realized what was about to happen. "Student Azrael!" he shouted desperately across the battlefield. "Have your card stop that attack immediately!"
Chisaki's expression darkened with equal alarm as he quickly transported Hisham back to the viewing platform using his spatial manipulation techniques.
Azrael recognized that he'd made a serious miscalculation, but his realization came too late to prevent the catastrophic conclusion.
The protective barrier shattered like glass under Caliburn's assault, golden fragments of spiritual energy raining down as the beam continued its devastating path unimpeded. The concentrated divine fire rushed straight toward the opposite side of the battlefield where no obstacles remained to contain it.
A deafening explosion echoed across Southeast University's campus, the tremendous sound carrying for kilometers in every direction.
"What the hell was that noise?!" students throughout the university called out in alarm.
"I don't know, but it's coming from the battle arena!"
Despite the weekend schedule, dozens of students remained on campus for various activities. The thunderous detonation sent them running toward the source of the disturbance with a mixture of curiosity and concern.
However, when they arrived at what should have been the battle facility, they found only half-collapsed ruins where a state-of-the-art arena had stood moments before.
"Did I take a wrong turn somewhere?" one confused student asked, staring at the devastation.
"No, this is definitely where the battlefield was located," another confirmed with obvious bewilderment.
"Who the hell destroyed our arena?!"
"Was there a faculty duel happening here?"
Regardless of the chaos erupting throughout Southeast University's campus, Surge's face had turned black as coal within the ruined facility.
"Chisaki!" he said through gritted teeth, fury and disbelief warring in his voice. "If Student Azrael possessed this level of destructive capability, why didn't you warn me in advance?!"
Chisaki spread his hands with an expression of genuine helplessness. He truly hadn't realized that Azrael commanded such overwhelming power. "I honestly had no idea he could do this."
Surge took several deep breaths to regain his composure before addressing the immediate crisis. "Well, what's done is done. There's no point dwelling on blame now. Let's figure out how to handle the situation."
He paused, then added with forced magnanimity, "I'll inform the administration. They should provide compensation for the facility damage."
Chisaki looked grateful for this diplomatic approach. "That's very reasonable of you. I'll make sure Pixar University contributes to the repair costs."
Surge waved dismissively, though his eye twitched with obvious irritation. "Southeast University isn't so petty that we'd demand payment from students. Don't worry about it, I've already reported this battle to the school administration. You won't be held financially responsible."
Despite his accommodating words, Surge couldn't resist muttering several pointed complaints under his breath.
Setting aside the venue destruction for the moment, Surge's curiosity overcame his frustration. "Speaking of which, was that card actually King Arthur?"
Chisaki shook his head uncertainly. "I'm not entirely sure, but it certainly appeared to be based on Arthurian legend."
Both instructors had clearly heard Artoria shouting "Caliburn!" during her ultimate technique.
While the legend of King Arthur wasn't particularly popular within the Empire of Aetherlight, as experienced educators they possessed sufficient cultural knowledge to recognize the reference. Moreover, they'd encountered British King Arthur cards during previous international academic exchanges.
However, this was their first experience with a King Arthur variant possessing such devastating area-of-effect capabilities. The British versions they'd previously observed functioned primarily as legion commander cards, focused on battlefield coordination rather than raw destructive power.
If either instructor had known that Azrael's Artoria also possessed advanced leadership abilities through her Charisma trait, their amazement would have reached entirely new levels.
Students from both universities overheard the instructors' conversation, their complex emotions difficult to express in words. The only coherent thought running through most of their minds was a simple, incredulous "What the hell?"
Is your King Arthur even legal?! they wondered with a mixture of awe and indignation.
At that moment, Azrael approached the two instructors, scratching his head with obvious guilt. "Teacher Chisaki, Teacher Pan, I don't have to pay for this myself, do I?"
Chisaki maintained a stern expression on the surface, but internally he was celebrating with wild enthusiasm. This level of destructive capability could serve as a decisive trump card during the national competition.
Although it appeared that Artoria needed substantial recovery time after deploying such power, even a single-use technique of this magnitude could reshape entire tournament brackets.
"Don't worry," Chisaki assured him with paternal authority. "The school administration will handle everything."
Both instructors understood that while Azrael bore primary responsibility for the destruction, Oliver's preliminary attacks had also weakened the protective barrier. Under normal circumstances, they would have replaced the barrier card when transitioning between matches, but Oliver's previous destructive output hadn't warranted such precautions.
Nobody could have anticipated that Azrael would completely redefine their understanding of student-level capabilities.
Fortunately, the barrier's initial resistance had somewhat diminished Caliburn's power before its destruction. Combined with the fact that only Battle Club members from both schools were present in the facility, Artoria's attack had only destroyed property rather than causing casualties.
Hearing this reassurance, Azrael released a visible sigh of relief. "Then shall we continue the competition?"
As his words settled over the assembled students, an awkward silence gradually filled the air.
Every member of Southeast University's Battle Club now stared at Azrael as if he were some kind of mythological monster that had wandered into their midst.
The sound of nervous swallowing echoed through the quiet stands, making Azrael's embarrassment even more acute.
Finally, Surge broke the uncomfortable silence with bitter irony. "How exactly do you propose we continue fighting after this?"
He gestured toward the opposite side of the arena, which now resembled a Syrian warzone more than a competitive venue.
As the primary architect of the destruction, Azrael wisely decided to remain silent rather than compound his embarrassment.
With the arena completely unusable, the practice match could not continue. Within minutes, several administrative officials from Southeast University arrived to investigate the disturbance.
After listening to Surge's detailed explanation, they all regarded Azrael with expressions of mingled amazement and wariness.
Chisaki positioned himself protectively in front of his student and addressed the assembled group with diplomatic authority. "We should return to campus now. I'll see if we can arrange practice matches with other institutions to make up for today's... complications."
Azrael and his teammates nodded gratefully, then climbed into Chisaki's decrepit minivan under the fascinated stares of Southeast University's entire student body.
After returning to Pixar University's campus, Chisaki immediately disappeared into his office for urgent consultations with the administration about damage control and diplomatic relations.
Observing their instructor's hasty retreat, Azrael prepared to summon his ghost soldiers for transportation home.
"Junior Azrael," Oliver called out, his voice carrying an unfamiliar note of respect.
Azrael paused mid-stride. "What's the matter, Senior Brother Oliver?"
Oliver's face showed genuine contrition as he approached. "Junior Azrael, I had no idea you possessed such incredible strength. I apologize for my arrogant behavior over the past few days."
The dramatic shift in attitude surprised Azrael considerably, though he waved dismissively. "It's perfectly fine, I didn't take any of it personally."
The sudden transformation from arrogance to deference was almost comical, though Azrael had no intention of dwelling on such petty interpersonal politics.
Since Oliver was willing to acknowledge his mistakes and show appropriate respect, Azrael saw no benefit in holding grudges. Besides, would an elephant concern itself with the opinions of ants?
"Is there anything else?" Azrael asked with polite disinterest.
Oliver smiled with obvious relief. "Nothing else, Junior Azrael. Please, go ahead with your plans."
Azrael nodded diplomatically. "Then I'll see you later."
As he spoke, several ghost soldiers respectfully emerged from the shadows behind him, carrying an ornate chair with supernatural grace.
After Azrael departed through shadow travel, the remaining main members gradually dispersed to their respective destinations.
Only Sun-Myun remained behind, his expression dark with resentment as he watched both Oliver and Azrael's retreating figures with undisguised malice.
Returning to his apartment, Azrael instructed his ghost soldiers to prepare dinner while he contemplated his next card creation project.
At present, he possessed a substantial collection of Silver-level materials that opened numerous strategic possibilities.
[Falling Star of Heavenly Fiend] (Gold), [Demon Hunter] (Purple), [Two-Faced Being] (Gold), [Ugly Demon] (Gold), [Immortal Demon Fox] (Gold).
These represented the premium materials he'd accumulated before his recent secret realm expedition.
"Speaking of which, didn't Kevaugn mention something about providing points?" Azrael mused while organizing his resources.
Retrieving his phone, he checked his point balance with casual curiosity.
Balance: 3,020 points.
"They actually followed through," he observed with mild surprise. "A thousand points each?"
The contribution was more generous than he'd expected. With that amount, he could purchase three Purple-grade Silver-level materials or one Gold-quality component from the official exchange.
Considering that Azrael's solo mission had only awarded 2,000 points, and team missions typically provided less individual compensation than solo operations, Kevaugn's group had essentially given him the profits from an entire secret realm expedition.
"This significantly expands my options," Azrael reflected with satisfaction.
Currently, he possessed two Silver-level cards with distinctly different tactical roles. Unohana Retsu's combat effectiveness would skyrocket after triggering [Yachiru: Dormant], while Artoria became essentially unavailable after firing Caliburn. Moreover, both cards possessed crucial auxiliary capabilities that made them invaluable for support roles.
What he lacked was a card capable of sustained frontline combat, someone who could engage in prolonged battles without depleting crucial resources or entering extended cooldown periods.
"What direction should I pursue?" Azrael pondered, massaging his temples as he considered the possibilities.
The only sound in the room was the quiet rhythm of his fingers tapping against the table as he studied the materials spread before him in contemplative silence.
"Demon Hunter?" he mused, examining the [Demon Hunter] (Purple) material he'd acquired some time ago.
Combined with the subsequent [Two-Faced Being] (Gold) and [Ugly Demon] (Gold) components, an intriguing possibility had been developing in his strategic mind.
Sweet Mask from One Punch Man represented an attractive option, a hero whose obsession with beauty concealed tremendous combat capabilities. However, Azrael had eventually abandoned this concept primarily due to power scaling concerns. Sweet Mask operated at Dragon level in the source material, which would translate to Gold-tier requirements at minimum.
While he could theoretically create a weakened version suitable for Silver-level limitations, Azrael felt he'd identified a superior alternative that better matched his current needs.
Fubuki, the first-ranked B-Class hero and Tornado's younger sister, offered exactly the combat profile he required.
Perhaps her offensive capabilities weren't overwhelmingly powerful, but her defensive potential was remarkable. In the source material, she'd successfully withstood energy cannon attacks from Rover, a feat that spoke to incredible resilience and staying power.
This matched Azrael's requirements for sustained combat perfectly.
Of course, there was another crucial factor influencing his decision: when strength levels were roughly equivalent, the sister card always took priority.
Azrael wasn't a eunuch, after all.
Furthermore, creating Fubuki now would establish the foundation for eventually adding Tornado to his roster once his Lore Lore Cardian advancement reached appropriate levels. The synergy between the Psychic Sisters would unlock tremendous strategic potential.
Azrael didn't need research to know that Tornado possessed bonds with Saitama and other S-Class heroes, and the One Punch Man power system contained numerous formidable entities worthy of future consideration.
Having reached his decision, Azrael accessed the official points exchange platform to search for suitable supplementary materials.
After systematic filtering, he located exactly what he needed.
Silver-level [Son of the Wind] (Gold), priced at 2,900 points.
Like her sister Tornado, Fubuki possessed psychic abilities that manifested primarily as telekinetic wind manipulation, perfect for complementing his existing roster's capabilities.
"After creation, Fubuki might be able to help Artoria develop a makeshift Wind King's Barrier," Azrael mused with growing excitement about the tactical possibilities.
This represented one of the primary motivations behind his material selection. Giving Artoria access to enhanced concealment and protection would dramatically improve her survivability during extended engagements.
"But I still need one additional component," he observed with minor frustration.
After brief consideration, Azrael selected his [Ugly Demon] (Gold) material for trading purposes.
"Time for another visit to Mr. Wolfgang's operation," he decided pragmatically.
Fortunately, he maintained substantial reserves of lower-grade materials specifically for handling fees and minor transactions.
After locating the nearest material trading facility on his map, Azrael prepared to acquire the final component necessary for his project.
This time, he decided against contacting Wolfgang directly, instead choosing to utilize one of the subsidiary stores operating under his corporate umbrella.
Led by his ever-reliable ghost soldiers, Azrael quickly arrived at the designated trading post.
He presented the black gold card Wolfgang had provided during their previous business relationship to the receptionist, watching with amusement as recognition dawned in the clerk's eyes.
Observing Azrael's youthful appearance, the receptionist's thoughts raced with speculation. Which family does this young master represent?
Despite his internal curiosity, the clerk maintained perfect professional courtesy as he escorted Azrael to the establishment's exclusive second-floor trading area.
"Young Master, these are the materials currently available for exchange," the receptionist explained respectfully, offering him a tablet displaying their inventory.
Azrael accepted the device and began systematically reviewing the options.
Within minutes, he'd located his target: Silver-level [Telekinetic User] (Gold).
After handing over his [Ugly Demon] material and the requisite handling fees, the transaction was completed with remarkable efficiency once the clerk verified authenticity.
If Wolfgang's organization lacked suitable materials at any given time, Azrael could alternatively place his desired components on reserve and wait for appropriate inventory to become available.
"Thank you for your excellent service," Azrael said graciously, accepting his purchased materials before departing under ghostly escort.
Returning home with his complete collection of components, Azrael felt anticipation building as he prepared for his next creation.
"Time to begin crafting [Blizzard of Hell]," he announced with satisfaction, spreading the three premium materials across his workspace.
The psychic powers of the Fubuki Group were about to join his roster, and with them would come new tactical possibilities that could reshape his approach to combat entirely.